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Diana Mathis is originally from Connecticut and did her undergraduate work at Ithaca College where she received a BA in psychology (neuroscience concentration), with minors in gerontology and music. Now a PhD candidate in the Graduate Center for Gerontology, she works with Dr. Chris Norris in the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging. Her research focuses on behavioral and biochemical aspects of brain aging, and how brain inflammation contributes to normal age-related changes in learning and memory. Diana is a research fellow in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology’s NIH Predoctoral Fellowship Training Program, “Molecular and Cellular Aspects of Brain Aging.” Her current professional memberships include the Gerontological Society of America, Society for Neuroscience, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Sigma Phi Omega (National Gerontology Honor Society).
Publications
Mohmmad Abdul H, Furman JL, Sama MA, Mathis DM, Norris CM (2010) NFATs and Alzheimer’s disease. Mol Cell Pharmacol, accepted, in editorial stage.
Mohmmad-Abdul H, Sama MA, Furman JL, Mathis DM, Beckett TL, Weidner AM, Murphy MP, Levine H 3rd, Kraner SD, Norris CM (2009). Cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease is associated with selective changes in NFAT signaling. Journal of Neuroscience,29:12957-12969.
Sama MA*, Mathis DM*, Furman JL, Mohmmad Abdul H, Artiushin IA, Kraner SD, Norris CM (2008). Interleukin-1β-dependent paracrine signaling between astrocytes and neurons depends critically on astrocytic calcineurin/NFAT activity. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 283(32): 21953- 21964. (*these authors contributed equally to this work)
Posters & Presentations
Mathis, DM, Mohammad-Abdul, HM, Furman, JL, Artiushin, IA, Szymkowski, DE, Scheff, SW, Norris, CM, “Chronic brain infusion of dominant-negative TNF prevents induction of long-term depression in aged rats,” Poster presented at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, IL, October 17-21, 2009.
Mathis, DM, Furman, JL, Abdul, HM, Artiushin, IA, Kraner, SD, Norris, CM, “The CN/NFAT pathway in astrocytes contributes to excitotoxic interactions between astrocytes and neurons,” Poster presented at the Center for Clinical and Translational Science Spring Conference, Lexington, KY, April 23, 2009.
Mathis, DM, Furman, JL, Abdul, HM, Artiushin, IA, Kraner, SD, Norris, CM, “The CN/NFAT pathway in astrocytes contributes to excitotoxic interactions between astrocytes and neurons,” Poster presented at the Bluegrass Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience Spring Neuroscience Day, Lexington, KY, March 18, 2009.
Mathis, DM, Norris, CM, “Neuronal Function and Viability in Hippocampal Cultures Depends on the CN/NFAT Pathway,” Poster presented at the 61st Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, National Harbor, MD, November 21-25, 2008.
Mathis, DM, “The role of astrocyte CN/NFAT signaling in age-related synaptic deficits and cognitive decline,” Slide presentation at the National Institute on Aging’s Technical Assistant Workshop, National Harbor, MD, November 20-21, 2008.
Mathis, DM, Norris, CM, “Neuronal Function and Viability in Hippocampal Cultures Depends on the CN/NFAT Pathway,” Poster presented at the 61th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, National Harbor, MD, November 21-25, 2008.
Furman JL, Sama MA, Mathis DM, Kraner SD, Artiushin IA, Norris CM, “Modulation of A-Beta neuronal toxicity by astrocytic calcineurin/NFAT signaling,” Poster presented at the 38th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Washington, D.C., November 15-19, 2008.
Mathis, DM, Furman, JL, Abdul, HM, Artiushin, IA, Kraner, SD, Norris, CM, “The CN/NFAT pathway in astrocytes contributes to excitotoxic interactions between astrocytes and neurons,” Poster presented at the 38th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Washington, D.C., November 15-19, 2008.
Mathis, DM, Norris, CM, “Network activity in hippocampal cultures depends on the CN/NFAT pathway,” Poster presented at the 37th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA, November 3-7, 2007.
Mathis, DM, Moser, DK, “Intimacy Theories and an Empirical Test of the Theory of Emotional Contagion,” as part of the Symposium, “I Want to Hold Your Hand: Intimacy Needs Among Older Adults,” Presented at the 59th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, Dallas, TX, November 16-20, 2006.